A Cup of Love
by LivingInADream95
Summary: Bella owns the local coffee shop that Edward frequents daily after work. She can't help but wonder about him. She feels inexplicably drawn to him. What would happen if one day she just decided to sit down and talk to him? AH, AU
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** please forgive the cheesy name. This is my first attempt at a Twilight fanfic, so I apologize if it's a little rough at first. As I said in the description, the story is AU and AH, so things may seem a little OOC at times. Reviews are always appreciated and are definitely great encouragement to continue writing.

Chapter 1

Bella sits behind the counter of The Steamy Beany coffee shop, staring unseeingly at the book in her hands. She cannot maintain her focus on the story because her mind is lost in thought about the attractive man sitting at the table in the corner. He comes in every morning and every afternoon around 5 o'clock. In the mornings he orders a coffee to go, but in the afternoons he sometimes sits for hours typing away on his laptop. She doesn't know much about the mysterious man who she can't help but think about, she only really knows his name and that he tends to pull at his hair when he's frustrated with whatever it is he works so diligently on. His name is Edward and he looks to be in his late twenties, if she had to guess. He's tall, tall enough to tower over her anyways. She'd be willing to bet he's about 6 feet tall. He's a little on the lanky side, but he still looks like someone you wouldn't want to pick a fight with. There's something about him that seems dangerous. Maybe it's his reddish brown hair that always appears disheveled by the end of the day or maybe it's his black leather jacket and dark jeans. Perhaps it's those piercing amber eyes. Bella has no idea what it is about him that gives off that bad boy, dangerous vibe. She just knows that it's in her best interest to stay away.

If only it were that easy. Edward is in the shop every day. He sits in the same spot for hours on end doing who knows what on that laptop and drinking an unhealthy amount of caffeine. She can't complain because he does continue to purchase beverages and usually something for dinner, so he's not unwelcome. She just wished she didn't feel so drawn to him. She couldn't explain it. Even though her gut told her he was bad news, there was something inside of her dying to get to know him. That part of her grew more and more every time he came into the shop. Bella didn't know how much longer she could ignore it. She was afraid history might repeat herself.

Giving up on any hope of reading her book, Bella closes it and puts it away on one of the shelves beneath the counter. She gazes around at the shop, imagining the lives of its patrons. It's one of her favourite things to do. It's one of the things she loves most about owning her own coffee shop. It allows her the opportunity to become a part of people's lives. First, she gets to imagine their life. When a new face walks in, she pictures what his or her story is, what life is like beyond the walls of the shop. As people become regulars, she gets to know them. Little by little, she becomes a small part of their everyday life. Everyone in here connected by their love of coffee. There's something serene about being surrounded by people who you have something in common with, even something as simple as a love of caffeine.

She spots Mrs. Joan sitting alone by the window, gazing out at the autumn leaves. She smiles at her, even though she can't actually see her. In the years that Mrs. Joan has been coming here, Bella has learned that the elderly woman has lived alone since the death of her husband decades ago. She knows that Mrs. Joan loves to knit and was also quite the artist back in the day. Her works can be found displayed proudly in local galleries. Bella only knows this because she stumbled across them one day on a trip to one such gallery. Mrs. Joan is far too modest to brag about her success as an artist, instead she prefers to talk about her family and her love of knitting and baked goods. Mrs. Joan is always willing to try the latest treat on the menu. Bella trusts her opinion and usually decides whether or not something is worth keeping on the menu based on Mrs. Joan's judgment. They have become acquaintances over the years and Mrs. Joan has tried countless times to set Bella up with her "charming grandson". Bella always politely declines, fearful of what might happen if things didn't go well between her and the beloved grandson.

Bella's gaze gradually wanders over to Edward, who as usual is sitting alone at the corner table, typing away. She wonders how aware he is of his surroundings. Does he notice the chime of the bell when a new customer arrives? Do his nostrils fill with the scent of freshly brewed coffee? Does he feel the gentle swish of air as someone walks by his table? Can he sense her staring? She does not know the answers to any of these questions and probably never will, but she still enjoys thinking about them.

Life at the shop is all about her customers and the atmosphere they create. She couldn't dream of working anywhere else. Why would anyone want to sit behind a desk at an office when they could run their own shop? She loves the freedom to do what she wants with the shop, which leads to frequent changes and mixed opinions from the regulars. Some people love that the esthetic of the place is always changing, while still remaining relatively the same. She repaints the walls quite often, changes up the décor, changes the quiet background music, adds and removes items from the menu. She doesn't like it when things become stagnant. She believes it is important for things to change and grow, which is why she is always trying to improve the shop. Some people wish she would keep everything the same, but she disagrees. Change is what keeps people alive. Change is what makes life interesting and worth living.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Thank you to everyone who has reviewed/favorited/followed the story :) Chapters will start to get longer as the story progresses, but for now they will all be about this length. I'd love to hear what you think of the story so far and what you might like to see happen

Chapter 2

As the sky grew darker and the crowd in the coffee shop dyed down, Bella knew it was almost time to close up and head home. That thought put a broad smile on her face because as much as she loved the shop, the best part of her day was always going home. There was someone waiting for her at home. Someone she missed dearly every day.

Bella glanced around, taking note of how many people still lingered, four. She sometimes stayed open a little later to let people finish their drinks. The young couple by the door were packing up their things and getting ready to leave. The older gentleman by the counter also looked as though he was preparing to depart. Edward however appeared to be too wrapped up in thought to be aware of his surroundings and the time. Bella knew she would have to gently remind him it was closing time. She'd had to do this a few times now and it was always awkward. She'd have trouble getting his attention and when she finally did, he always seemed annoyed with her. Bella found this frustrating because it was her shop and the hours were clearly displayed. It's not her fault he can't be bothered to pay attention to the clock. She decided to give him a few more minutes, busying herself with tidying up the counter and turning everything off.

As she was begrudgingly walking over to his table, Edward glanced up and looked at the time. He frowned to himself, then looked at her and nodded, his way of showing her that he knew it was time to leave. He lowered the screen of his laptop and put it away neatly in its case. Gathered his trash and threw it away, picked up his case and walked out the door without a word. Typical.

Bella didn't understand why she seemed so drawn to the guy. He didn't exactly come off as the nicest person in the world. Quite frankly, he seems like a jerk. Who acts like it's a major inconvenience for a storeowner to enforce their set store hours? Who's too good to even so much as say goodbye when they've been allowed to stay past said store hours? Jerks, that's who. Bella let out an exasperated sigh as she gathered up her stuff, turned off the lights, and headed to the door to lock up and leave. She couldn't wait to forget about Edward and his 'too good for the world' attitude. She just wanted to relax on the couch with the person she loved most.

The short drive home was uneventful. The road was clear of traffic and the soft indie music playing in the background helped ease the stress she had been feeling. When she pulled into the driveway, she saw that the living room light was still on. It was only 7, so she figured it was a safe bet that they were still up. As she neared the door she could hear the quiet voices coming from the television inside. She smiled to herself.

Bella opened the door and made her way into the living room, trying not to make any noise in case they were asleep. Glancing toward the couch, she saw exactly what she expected. Nessie was curled up against Jacob and they had both dozed off watching cartoons. She sat down on the edge of the couch and pulled a blanket over them. Jacob opened his eyes slowly and smiled at her, apparently having been woken up by the gentle movement beside him.

"How was your day?"

"The usual. How was Ness?"

"She was pretty quiet today. She said she was tired from school. They had that field trip today, so that's probably what did it."

She leaned over and kissed her daughter Nessie on the forehead. She stirred, but didn't wake up. Nessie was five now and Bella has been raising her as a single mother since she was born. Her father wasn't a nice man and she hadn't wanted him anywhere near her daughter, which suited him fine because he wanted nothing to do with either of them. Luckily, Jacob, her best friend, had stepped in to help out after school so Bella could run the shop. Jacob lived down the block and he was like an uncle to Nessie, so he was more than happy to help. He watched her three nights a week and for a few hours on the weekends, so Bella could be at the shop. She had hired two employees to work at the shop as well, so she could spend more time with Nessie. As much as she loved running the Steamy Beany, she hated missing so much of her daughter's life. She was glad the shop was doing well enough that she could hire people to help her out.

"There's some pizza in the fridge if you're hungry. It's homemade. Nessie's idea," Jacob said as he stood to leave.

"That actually sounds great. If you don't have any plans, you're welcome to stay a while. We can watch some cheesy reruns or something," Bella offered. She always felt weird just sending him home after he babysat Ness. Plus, he'd been her best friend for as long as she could remember and she enjoyed getting to hangout with him so often.

"That sounds like fun, but I'm wiped. Rain check?"

"Just this once," Bella replied with a grin.

Jacob gave her a wink and headed out the door. Bella glanced back at Nessie, deciding it was best to get her settled into bed before relaxing with some pizza and old television sitcoms. She gently picked up her daughter and carried her down the hall to her room.

Nessie's room matched her personality, bright and colourful. Nessie had always been a happy go lucky kid, which sometimes surprised Bella because they'd had such a rough start. She's grateful for how things worked out and she feels blessed to have Nessie in her life.

She places her gently in her bed and tucks her in, giving her one last peck on the forehead before turning on the night light and leaving the room. She leaves the door open a crack, knowing that's how Nessie likes it. She's always been afraid of the dark.

Bella makes her way over to the kitchen and grabs herself a slice of pizza, opting not to reheat it. She never understood the appeal of microwaving pizza. She found it made the dough soggy and gross. She much preferred to eat it cold. She grabbed a bottle of water and headed back into the living room to curl up with her dinner and some of her favourite shows. She may not have had the chance to spend time with Nessie, but all in all, tonight had been a pretty good night.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** In honour of reaching 500 views, I decided to update early. Thanks again to everyone who's been reviewing, favouriting, and following

Chapter 3

"Good morning," Bella said brightly as Edward approached the counter.

"Hello," he replied cooly.

 _I see someone's in a good mood this morning_ Bella thought morosely. She refused to let it get to her and continued in the same cheery tone she had greeted him with. "What can I get you?"

"Black coffee and a four cheese bagel, toasted, please."

 _Well at least he said please._ "Coming right up."

The coffee shop was pretty busy this morning. People filled the booths, taking a few minutes to themselves before they headed to work. Sharp dressed business people were beginning to line up behind Edward. Mornings were always her busiest time. She had become a local hot spot for morning coffee and a quick breakfast on the go.

She prepared Edward's order quickly and handed it to him. When their fingers accidentally touched, she felt a jolt run through her. _That was strange,_ she thought. _That meant nothing, Bella. This is grumpy Edward we're talking about. You cannot like him. He's bad news;_ she chided herself for her body's reaction to his touch. Edward appeared unfazed by the interaction, but he did smile at her, which was a nice change from his original demeanor this morning. He also left a hefty tip, which earned him a smile and thank you in return.

"Have a good day," he called as he turned and headed out the door.

 _That was weird. He never says anything before he leaves._ Today was shaping up to be a strange day and Bella didn't know how she felt about that. She loved change, but sometimes change was dangerous. Change where Edward was concerned definitely seemed risky.

After Bella finished serving the rest of the businessmen and women in line, the shop slowed down significantly. The morning rush was coming to a close; now it would just be the occasional stay at home mom or trendy housewife until the lunch rush. She busied herself tidying up the tables and prepping some of the lunch options. When she had finished with all of the prep she could do, she still had some time to spare before the next rush of people came through, so she decided to pull out her book.

* * *

Edward smiled to himself as he headed off to work. He knew he wasn't the only one who felt a jolt of electricity when he and Bella touched. It was written all over her face. Edward felt smug knowing he wasn't the only one who felt the connection between them. She was beautiful and he had thought as much since the first day he walked into her shop. It was one of the reasons he kept coming back. There was something about her. He couldn't stay away. The downside to this need to be close however was that she was a major distraction to his work. He went there after finishing his day job, as a publicist, to work on his dream of becoming an author. He had been working on his novel for a few years now, but progress had become slow since he became a regular at the Steamy Beany. Try as he might, he could never get Bella off his mind and focus on his work.

He groaned, realizing he had just spent the entire drive to work wrapped up in thoughts of her. He barely knew anything about the woman. Why did he turn into a teenage boy every time he was near her? Half of the time he was a jerk to her. He was trying to keep his distance, trying to get past this. He couldn't afford any distractions. He needed to finish this book. Needed to do something for himself for a change. This is why he'd moved here. It's why he'd cut himself off from his family wealth. He wanted to prove that he could make it on his own. Prove to himself that he had what it took to become a famous author. He didn't want his family money to give him an unfair advantage. He wanted to earn this.

He'd had to take a job at a publishing company to pay the bills while he worked on his book. The job was demanding and didn't leave a lot of time or energy to work on his novel, but he refused to give in and tap into his trust fund. He would not fail. Plus, the job gave him an inside look of what it takes to get a book published and what to expect from the whole experience.

His thoughts drifted back to Bella as he sat at his desk looking over the latest book proposal he'd received. He'd noticed her reading many of the books his company had published. Most of which were books he had pushed to get published. Books he believed in when others didn't. It was yet another thing that drew him to her. She always had a book with her. He always looked forward to seeing what she would read next. The anticipation of whether or not it would be a book he'd helped bring to market was like a high for him. It made all those hours at the office seem worth it. The publishing company gig may just be a day job while he works toward his dream, but he was still passionate about what he did and believed in the power of literature. He loved seeing people engrossed in the works he contributed to. It meant someone else was realizing his or her dream of becoming an author. That was pretty powerful. He helped make people's dreams come true. Now if only he could figure out a way to make his own dreams come true.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:** I have a few chapters written out in advance for the story, so I figured I would post another early update. I won't always update this frequently. My goal is once or twice a week, depending on how much writing I get done and how busy my real life is. Also, I have been having some trouble uploading onto the website lately, so I apologize in advance if that causes and delays in chapter updates.

Chapter 4

The afternoon rush had come and gone, followed by the dinner rush, and still Edward had not been back. She couldn't help but wonder why. This was the first time in a long time that he had not showed up in time for the dinner rush. Did he have to stay late at work? Did he have other plans? Had something happened to him on the way here? Was he freaked out by this morning? Her mind buzzed with the many possible questions and answers. She knew it was ridiculous to be obsessing over this, as they weren't actually friends after all. They were barely even acquaintances. She was just the owner of his favourite coffee shop. She tried to put him out of her mind and focus on her actual customers.

Just as she had finally pushed past thoughts of Edward, he walked through the front door, the jingle of the bell above the door causing her to look up and meet his eyes. He smiled at her and headed over to the counter. Bella felt her heart rate increase as he got closer. She didn't know why she was so nervous all of a sudden. She felt butterflies in her stomach. _He's just here for coffee, Bella. Calm down._

"Good evening, Bella," he said cordially once he had reached the counter.

"Evening," she replied shyly. She didn't understand why she was so nervous. He was just another customer, so what if he used her name. It didn't mean anything.

"What can I get you?" She asked after a brief, but awkward silence.

"I'm a little later than usual, so let's go with a tea this time. I don't think it would be wise to be awake and jittery all night. Let's go with earl grey tea with a bit of cream please and what's today's special?"

"Tonight I have a personal pizza with your choice of three toppings or spaghetti. I decided to go with an Italian theme for today, but we still have all of the regular menu items if you'd prefer one of them," she said with a smile, unsure why she had felt compelled to go into so much detail. He never asked about the specials. Come to think of it, he never really spoke much at all. Usually just placed his order and waited in silence. This change in his usual demeanor and behaviour was throwing her off.

"Hmm they both sound delicious, but I think I'll try the spaghetti. It's been a while since I've had some."

"Perfect, I'll heat some up for you."

She got to work making his tea first and handed it to him, being careful to avoid accidentally brushing his fingers with hers again. She then moved over to the small stove to heat up some fresh spaghetti.

"How was your day?" he asked while he waited for the food to be ready.

Bella turned toward him in surprise. Was he actually being nice and trying to make conversation? How strange. Was this some weird dream? Did he hit his head on the way here? What on earth was going on? It was as if the world had decided today was opposite day and everything would be different and disorienting.

"My day was good," she finally replied. "How was yours?"

"Not bad, had a meeting with a potential client, which is why I'm so late. He's a bit of a talker," he said with a chuckle. Ironically, Edward was turning out to be a bit of a talker himself.

Bella decided to be brave and take this opportunity to get to know him a little better. "Where do you work?" she asked politely.

"I work for a publishing company. "

"That sounds interesting," she replied. "I love books. Have you published any I might have read?"

"It's a lot of long hours, but it's not a terrible job. It can be pretty rewarding, especially knowing I played a part in making someone's dream come true. And as for books you may have read, I've actually seen you reading a few of the books I helped publish, which is also a pretty great perk to my job, seeing the public support the novels we worked so hard for."

They continued to talk about books while she prepared his dinner and he ended up sitting at the counter so they could continue talking. She liked having the opportunity to get to know him a little better, although she was definitely shocked by the break in his regular routine and wondered if this would become the new normal.

Before she knew it, it was time to close up shop. Edward offered to stay and help, but she didn't feel comfortable accepting. Maybe once she knew him a bit more, but right now it felt strange having him stay and help her tidy up. She politely declined and they said their goodbyes.

As she was finishing up and getting ready to shut the lights and close up, Jacob and Nessie walked in.

"Hi, Ness," Bella said eagerly as the young girl sprang into her arms. She swung her daughter around in a quick circle, earning a giant smile and a fit of giggles.

"Hi, momma," she replied after calming down, still grinning from ear to ear.

"Hey, Jake. What are you two doing here?"

"Someone convinced me to go get ice cream, so we decided to stop by and see if you wanted to join," he replied with a smile.

Today was Monday, which meant an earlier closing time for the shop. She still had some time to spend with Nessie before bedtime and the ice cream parlor sounded like the perfect way to end the evening.

"I'd love to," she replied.

"Great! Are you all done here?"

"Yep, I was just about to lock up. I'll meet you out front in a minute."

Bella placed Nessie back onto the ground and she promptly walked over to Jacob and tugged on his arm until they had made it outside. Bella laughed to herself as she shut off the lights and locked up. She knew most kids loved ice cream, but Nessie loved it more than most. She could beg for hours until finally you felt you had no choice other than to give in. Jacob was known to cave in easily to her pleads for ice cream.

The ice cream parlor was only a few blocks away, so they decided to walk. The moment they rounded the corner that led to the shop, Nessie took off at a run to the front entrance. Bella and Jacob both laughed as they sped up their pace to catch up. Bella yearned for the days when she had the kind of energy Nessie had.

"Momma, can I go in now?" Nessie asked politely as her mom and Jacob neared the entrance.

"Go on in, we'll meet you at the counter," Bella replied soothingly.

Nessie made her way quickly up to the counter, Bella and Jacob not far behind. They all ordered their ice cream and sat down at an empty booth. They sat and talked about their days while enjoying their ice cream. Nessie raved about the antics the class clown had gotten into today, a favourite topic of hers. When they had finished, they slowly made their way back to the coffee shop to get to their vehicles. Jacob had drove to the shop, so he would be heading straight home after.

"Night, Jake," Bella said as they parted ways.

"Goodnight, Bella. Goodnight, Nessie."

"Night, uncle Jake."

Jacob wasn't really her uncle, but Nessie had always chosen to address him as such and neither of them felt any need to correct her. He was basically an uncle. He and Bella had been friends for years and he was always around and he looked after Nessie a few nights a week, so for all intents and purposes, he was her uncle. Not by blood, but in all the ways that truly matter. Bella was a firm believer that family meant more than being related by blood. Family was about love and no one could deny the love between Jacob and Nessie. She adored him and he would do anything for her.

They parted ways and headed home. By the time Bella and Nessie made it home, it was her bedtime. Bella tucked her in and read her a story, and then she headed out to the living room to read some more before bed. She had found out from Edward that the book she was currently reading had been one he had published. That thought made her want to finish the story even more. She had loved the book so far and couldn't wait to see how it would end. She curled up on the sofa with a blanket, turned on the lamp, and cracked open her novel.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It was Saturday and Bella had the day off from Steamy Beany today, so she was currently curled up on the couch with Nessie watching cartoons and deciding what they should do today. Nessie was still half asleep, dozing off occasionally as she rested her head on Bella's lap. Bella was absentmindedly running her fingers through her daughter's soft hair as they watched animated characters dancing across the screen. She used to hate cartoons, wasn't a fan of television in general, if she was being honest, but since Nessie came into her life that had all changed. She still wasn't the world's biggest fan of television and would much rather be reading or doing something else with Ness, she knew that it was a good activity for early mornings or late nights. It didn't take a lot of focus and was a way to spend time together when they were too tired to do anything else. Bella was not going to let this be all they did today though. She wanted to get out of the house and do something together, but she couldn't decide on what they should do with their day.

Her mind wandered to thoughts of this past week. Ever since Monday, the day the world flipped upside down, Edward had been more social. When he came into the shop, he would sit and chat with Bella for a little while before making his way over to his usual spot and bringing out his laptop. She had yet to build up the courage to ask what it was he did on his laptop. She knew it was none of her business and she had no right to be so curious and nosy. Besides, he was probably just working.

Despite all of the time they now spent talking, he was still a mystery to her. They still knew barely anything about each other and their lives beyond the walls of the coffee shop. She kind of liked it that way. She was worried of what might happen if they uncovered the mysteries of each other's lives. What skeletons were lurking in his closet? How would he react when he found out about Nessie? It wasn't like Bella wanted to keep Nessie a secret, she would never want to hide Nessie like that, she simply didn't feel it appropriate to randomly bring it into conversation.

Having a child was a big deal, especially supposing he felt the same attraction she felt. If there was any hope that they could someday be more than acquaintances, he would have to find out about Ness, but Bella had to find the right time and way to tell him. Nessie was a huge part of her life, the most important person in her life. Anyone who wanted to be a significant part of Bella's life needed to be okay with Nessie. That's what happens when you become a mother. Her world revolved around her daughter and she wouldn't want it any other way.

Nessie began to stir, peeking her eyes open and glancing up at Bella. Bella smiled down at her daughter. Nessie's hair was rumpled from falling asleep on her lap and she had one sock half off. Bella couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her lips as she took in her daughter's current appearance. She was adorable.

Nessie continued to watch Bella for a few more quiet seconds before finally speaking up. "Momma, did I sleep through breakfast?"

Bella laughed again. Truly adorable. She couldn't imagine her life without this little bundle of joy in it. "No, hun, you didn't sleep through breakfast," she replied with an indulgent smile. "What would you like us to make?"

Nessie was quiet for a moment. That's usually how it was when someone mentioned food. Nessie took her time deciding what she wanted to eat, as though it was a much more important decision than it actually was. It was kind of charming, if she were being honest. Although, Bella was a little bias when it came to anything involving Nessie.

"Can we make French toast?" she finally asked, mild pleading evident in her voice.

"Of course."

They stood and made their way into the kitchen. Bella gathered all of the supplies while Nessie climbed up onto one of the stools at the kitchen island. She was a little too short to easily sit on them, so climbing up onto one always took a minute or two.

Once everything they would need had been rounded up and placed on the counter, they got to work. Nessie was in charge or measuring the ingredients, she wasn't quite coordinated enough to crack eggs just yet. She loved to help, so cooking was always a chance for them to spend more time together. It didn't take long to make breakfast, within fifteen minutes they were sitting at the island enjoying their French toast.

After breakfast, they decided they would go to the park today. There was one not far from their house that had a massive playground. Nessie loved playing there and it was a good opportunity for Bella to read or quietly watch her daughter having fun. There were usually plenty of kids their on the weekend, so it was also a good opportunity for Nessie to socialize and make a new friend or two. She used to be very shy, but coming to the park had helped break her out of her shell a little more.

They packed a few things into a bag and applied sunscreen before heading out. They decided to walk to the park. Nessie was hopping along, trying to avoid stepping on any cracks, and Bella was following close behind, smiling at her daughter's jubilant behaviour. When they had made it to the park, Nessie ran straight for the playground. Bella made her way over to a nearby bench and set her bag down beside her. She glanced around the playground, noting that it was a little less busy than usual. The weather was great today, sunny with a light breeze, so it was rather unusual that the park wasn't more jam packed with happy children. There were still several other families there however, so there were plenty of kids for Nessie to play with.

Before long Nessie had already found a group of girls to play with. They were taking turns crossing the monkey bars and racing down the slide. They were all smiling and laughing, obviously having a great time. Bella decided it would be safe to pull out her book and read for a bit. Nessie was old enough now that she didn't need constant supervision, so Bella was able to read and just glance up every so often to check up on her daughter.

A few minutes later, Bella felt someone sit down beside her on the bench. She glanced up from her book to see who had decided to sit down on an occupied bench when there were plenty of unused ones scattered about. To her surprise, she found Edward looking back at her. This was the last place she had ever expected to see him. She was too shocked to say anything, so she just stared blankly at him for a few awkward seconds before he broke the silence.

"Funny seeing you here," he said with a grin.

"I could say the same to you," she replied. "You don't seem like the park going type."

He chuckled. "And what exactly makes one the type of person who frequents parks? Is it a certain outfit? Certain walk perhaps?"

Bella blushed, he was making fun of her and she couldn't blame him. It had been a stupid thing to say. She barely knew him. How could she pretend to know what he did or did not like to do?

"Sorry," she said shyly. "I know there's no preset qualities one needs to go to a park. It's just that I always see you at the shop with your laptop, so I just assumed… I don't know what I assumed to be honest."

He just smiled. "It's alright. I actually don't come here often, so you were partially right. I only come here when I'm babysitting my nephew and he asks to come."

"Kids do have a way of getting us to do things we wouldn't normally do."

"That they do. Well, we know why I'm here. Now it's your turn. What brings you to the park?"

Bella turned her gaze toward the playground. "My daughter."

* * *

There was a moment of silence while Edward digested the new information he had just been given. She had a daughter. It wasn't the fact that she had a child that gave him an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach; it was that he had never taken the time to consider the fact that she may have a family, a significant other in the picture. All of this time he had spent pining over her and he didn't even think about the fact that she could be seeing someone, could be married. He didn't want to find out he had no chance at ever seeing if they could be something more, but at the same time he didn't want to let himself hope that she was single. It would be unfair of him to hope for her to be a single mother. He wasn't that type of guy.

He mentally shook himself out of his thoughts, realizing he had been silent for longer than he should have, likely giving her the impression that he was the worst kind of person. The kind of person who freaks out when he finds out someone has a kid. He loves kids. He was always more than happy to babysit when Rosalie and Emmet had to work or when Alice and Jasper had to go out of town. He loved spending time with his nieces and nephews.

"What's her name?" he finally asked. "I wonder if Cooper has ever mentioned her. He likes to think of himself as quite the lady's man. He's always running around befriending all of the girls on the playground. He's not so friendly to the boys, he's a bit of a trouble maker." Edward realized he was rambling and quickly stopped himself.

Bella laughed, "He sounds like quite the player. And my daughter's name is Renesmee, but everyone calls her Nessie."

Edward smiled. "Oh I'm sure he will be quite the handful when he's older, luckily that will be my brother's problem and not mine. Renesmee is a lovely name. I don't remember hearing Cooper mention her though, which come to think of it may be a good thing. Wouldn't want him causing trouble."

"Nessie is a little firecracker, I don't think poor Cooper would stand a chance. She's pretty stubborn. I'd like to say she gets it from her father, but it's definitely from me."

"Being strong willed can be quite the positive attribute, given the right circumstances," Edward replied thoughtfully. "It's a great trait to have in the publishing world or as an author. A willingness to push for what you believe in and not take no for an answer." He fought back the urge to ask more about Nessie's father.

Bella smiled. "Strong willed, I like that. Sounds a lot better than stubborn," she laughed.

They sat in silence for a while, watching the kids running and shouting on the playground. Despite all of the noise, Edward found it rather peaceful coming here. There was something about being surrounded by nature and children having fun that was calming.

Suddenly Cooper jogged over to them. "Uncle Eddie, can we go now. I'm hungry," the boy whined. Edward didn't miss the smile that quickly flashed across Bella's face at the nickname his nephew was so fond of using.

"Sure Coop. Where should we go?" he asked.

The boy scratched his head, thinking over his options Edward assumed. "How about Burger Den?"

"Sounds good to me."

Edward stood and grabbed Cooper's backpack from beside the bench, handing it to the young boy. Edward then turned to Bella and asked if she and Nessie would like to join them for lunch.

"I am getting a little hungry, but we haven't been here too long. If you don't mind waiting a few minutes, I can go find Ness and see if she's hungry. She's a pretty big fan of anything involving food, so she'll probably be more than happy to go."

Edward laughed. "Sure, we can wait. Right Coop?"

"I guess," the boy said sullenly, knowing he didn't really have a choice in the matter.

Bella headed toward the playground to talk to her daughter. Edward and Cooper sat back down on the bench and waited, Cooper swinging his legs impatiently and sighing every few seconds.

"Coop, that's enough," Edward chided. "She'll be back in no time then we can go get burgers."

Cooper stopped swinging his legs and waited quietly. A few seconds later, Bella and a young girl, who looked just like her, were heading towards them.

"Alright Coop, got everything?"

Cooper smiled and jumped up. "Yep. Ready to roll."

When the girls had reached them, introductions were made quickly before heading off in search of food.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:** I was originally planning to update tomorrow, but I'm a few chapters further ahead than I expected to be, so I figured I'd update early. Thank you to everyone who's been sticking with the story so far. There are some big things coming up soon. I hope you like it and as always, reviews are appreciated :)

Chapter 6

Since Bella and Nessie had walked to the park and the restaurant was too far to walk to, Edward offered to give them a ride and drive them home afterwards. She was a little hesitant to accept at first, but she realized it was the easiest and most reasonable option. He had invited her to join them after all, so it's not like he didn't want them around. She was amazed at how much their relationship with each other had changed in the past week. They had gone from acquaintances that rarely spoke more than a few words to each other to friends. As the days wore on, she learned more and more about him. She liked what she knew about him. He didn't seem like bad news now that she had gotten to know him a little better. Quite honestly, he seemed like the type of guy who she needed in her life, someone caring and dependable. He was also passionate and determined. She was beginning to really like the changes to their relationship. She liked being able to talk to him. She liked that he knew about Nessie and that rather than being freaked out, he was inviting them to come to lunch with him and his nephew. He was letting them be a part of his life. A small part of his life, but she would take what she could get.

Bella didn't know much about cars, but looking at Edward's, she got the feeling it was expensive. For some reason she hadn't expected this. She didn't know what she was expecting exactly, it's not like she had spent time envisioning his mode of transportation. She just assumed it would be something more economic, not quite so luxurious. She felt nervous about her and Nessie being in such an obviously expensive vehicle. What if they did something to ruin it? Bella took a deep calming breath. _Nothing will go wrong,_ she told herself. _We don't have anything we could spill and we're not covered in dirt or anything_.

They all filed into the vehicle, adults in the front, kids in the back, and headed to the restaurant. The drive there was rather uneventful. Bella and Edward sat in comfortable silence while the children chattered behind them, both excited at the prospect of food. Bella had a feeling Nessie and Cooper were going to become good friends. They sure seemed to have a lot in common.

The moment the car was parked, the kids threw off their seatbelts and raced to the entrance. The adults exchanged glances and laughed before making their way over to the kids. It was still a little early for lunch, so the restaurant wasn't busy and they were seated at a booth right away. Bella had never been here before, but she had a feeling this would become a frequently requested visit for Nessie. There was a children's play area near the back, complete with jungle gym maze and giant slide. There was even a ball pit. No wonder Cooper had decided on this place. It was a children's paradise. It almost made Bella wish she were a child again.

"Uncle Eddie, can Nessie and I go play?" Cooper asked, looking up pleadingly at Edward.

"If it's alright with Bella, then it's fine with me, Coop."

Cooper looked at Bella expectantly. She smiled at him before glancing over to Nessie. "Would you like to go play in the playroom with Cooper?" she asked her daughter kindly.

Nessie nodded her head enthusiastically and the two children hopped up from their seats and dashed to the playroom. The room was visible from their booth, so Edward and Bella opted to stay where they were.

"Well that didn't take long," Edward said with a smirk.

"It never does with kids. They're very spontaneous and energetic. It's hard to keep up sometimes."

"I can only imagine. I have trouble just keeping up with my nieces and nephews for a day or two. I think I would need to implement a lot more caffeine into my diet if I had a child of my own."

"Coffee becomes your new best friend," Bella replied jokingly.

"I can see why," he said with a chuckle. "At the end of the day, it's all worth it though. I look forward to being a dad. Getting to see my little tyke grow up and reach his/her dreams. Helping in any way I can."

Edward had a wistful look as he talked about his desire for a family in the future. Bella found it rather touching. She also felt a jolt of happiness at the thought that he would make a good stepdad if anything ever happened between them. She didn't want to rush into anything or get her hopes up too much, but she did feel a tiny bit of optimism that they may someday become more than just friends. For now, she was content to have things the way they were. Edward was a great guy and she could always use another friend. Someone she could trust. Someone she could talk to.

"So, how long do you think it'll take before they get hungry enough to tear themselves away from the playroom?" Bella asked thoughtfully.

"Knowing Cooper, probably half an hour or so," he replied with a small grin.

Looks like they have some time to sit and chat before the kids come back. They ended up talking more about Edward's job and the latest books he was working on. Bella was excited for the release of a few of them and Edward had even offered to get her advanced copies of the ones she wanted to read. He said they always printed a few hundred advance reader copies and sent them to various reviewers and bloggers and gave some away in giveaways to create buzz about the book and peak people's interest. Bella definitely wouldn't complain about getting a book or two before the release date. In exchange for the books, she offered to write reviews for them on various websites to help get them noticed. He gave her a few websites that their reviewers often used and encouraged her to give her honest opinion in them. He also asked if she would be willing to write down any constructive criticism she had and pass it along to him and she agreed. Apparently that was another important reason why they developed advance copies, to get people's honest opinions and critiques so they could make any necessary changes before the book hit the shelves.

Bella and Edward had been so engrossed in their conversation that they hadn't even noticed how much time had passed. They had been sitting at the restaurant for nearly an hour and still they had not ordered. Bella decided that it was time to go round up the kids and order lunch. She offered to go get them from the playroom, not seeing any reason why they should both go and leave the table unattended.

It wasn't hard to find Nessie and Cooper considering they were currently the only ones in there other than her. Once she spotted them, she called them over and told them it was time for lunch. They both whined when they realized that meant they had to leave the playroom, but their grumbling stomachs made sure they weren't upset about it for long.

They all ordered burgers, Nessie and Cooper opting for the plainer burger offered on the children's menu along with fries and a milkshake. Bella and Edward decided on slightly more adventurous burgers, neither of which any of them have tried before, but the waitress insisted that they were two of their bestselling menu items. The food arrived shortly after and they all ate in relative silence, too hungry to stop and make conversation. After lunch the kids wanted to go back to the playroom for a bit, so it was agreed that they could play for twenty more minutes. After their time was up, they gathered their stuff and piled back into the car. Edward drove Bella and Nessie home and by the time they got there, Nessie and Cooper had already passed out in the backseat. Bella said her goodbyes, thanked Edward for the ride and for inviting them, then carried Nessie inside. All in all, it had been a pretty great day.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:** Another early update! I honestly haven't worked on this story since before the last update, so an early update probably isn't the best decision, but I've been updating every 2-3 days lately and wanted to see if I could stick with it. Maybe this will inspire me to write more. Anyways, thank you to everyone who's been sticking with the story from the beginning and to all of the new readers. Thank you for all of the lovely reviews. I always look forward to reading them

Chapter 7

Edward watched Bella carrying Nessie to the door for a few seconds, smiling to himself, before pulling out of their driveway. Cooper was asleep in the backseat, tired out by the park and all of the time playing at the restaurant. Rosalie and Emmett would be grateful. Usually Edward brought Cooper home hopped up on sugar and bouncing off the walls, sometimes by accident, other times he did it to annoy his brother. He rarely brought their son home in an exhausted state, so he figured it would be a welcome change, especially since they had both just gotten off long shifts at work. Edward was just happy he wouldn't have to listen to another lecture about sugar and health. A little sugar never killed anyone. _Well, I guess that may no necessarily be true for diabetics, but Coop isn't diabetic, so he'd be fine,_ Edward thought reasonably.

He pulled up into Emmett's driveway and turned the car off. Often he dropped Coop off and left shortly after, but Rosalie had invited him to stay for dinner and he didn't feel like turning the offer down only to sit alone in his quiet house. He'd rather spend the evening around family and forget about how lonely he felt when he was home. It's one of the reasons he spent so much time at the coffee shop. He didn't feel so alone there. He usually sat alone, but at least he was in a room full of people. He could pretend he wasn't alone.

Cooper woke up just as Edward was opening the back door, saving him from having to carry the young boy inside. They made their way up the driveway and Cooper walked in, kicked off his shoes, and headed upstairs. He always went straight to his room and made a mess of his toys, trying to decide what ones to play with. It didn't matter how tired or hyper he was, it was always the same. He didn't bother to greet his parents, just headed straight upstairs. On the bright side, at least he was well mannered enough to take his shoes off first, rather than track dirt through the house.

Edward took his own shoes off and headed to the kitchen, figuring it was the safest bet as to where he would find his brother and sister-in-law. He was right. Rosalie was at the stove, stirring something that smelled amazing, and Emmett was sitting at the table snacking, something that drove Rosalie nuts. She hated when people snacked too close to dinner, saying it spoiled their appetite. She also hated that Cooper was beginning to pick up his father's bad habit of snacking while she made dinner. Edward found it all a bit overdramatic, but then most things tended to lean towards dramatic where Rosalie was concerned. She liked things a particular way and she did not take well to people not conforming to her ideals. On the bright side, it did sometimes lead to comical moments for innocent bystanders, such as himself.

"Rose, dinner smells great," Edward said by way of greeting.

She turned and smiled at him. "Thanks, Ed," she replied sweetly.

"Being a naughty boy are we, Emmett?" Edward said ruefully to his brother.

Emmett glared at him. "Must you be such a shit, brother?" Emmett asked despairingly.

"Why yes, I think I must. Thank you for asking, _little_ brother," he responded smugly, knowing how much being called little brother bothered Emmett, despite it being a valid fact.

Rosalie shook her head. "I didn't realize there would be three children at the dinner table tonight. I should have made something more fitting, spaghetti-o's, perhaps," she said, giving her husband a stern look.

"Sorry, Rose," Edward replied.

"We'll behave, dear," Emmett added.

The men smiled at each other and sat at the table in silence. It didn't take long for dinner to be ready, but by the time Emmett was sent upstairs to get Cooper, the young boy had already fallen asleep amidst a mountain of toys. Emmett had opted to put Cooper gently in his bed and let him eat dinner later if he was hungry. Rosalie and Edward both laughed upon hearing the state Emmett found Cooper in, although it shouldn't have come as a surprise to any of them. Children, much like the drunk, could fall asleep anywhere, Edward realized.

"So, what's for dinner?" Edward asked as Rosalie began scooping food into bowls.

"I tried out a new chili recipe," she replied, turning to smile at him. She was always trying out new recipes, each one healthier than the last. Some were good, while others were not so good.

"She made it with ground turkey and mild spices," Emmett added.

"Well, it smells amazing and I for one am excited to try it," Edward said.

His compliment earned him the first bowl, well that and the fact that he was a "guest". He didn't wait for the others to have their meal before digging into his. It tasted better than it smelled and he told Rosalie as much, which earned him a huge grin. She was always a little nervous about trying out new recipes. She was a perfectionist and she had a hard time dealing with one of the new dishes being a failed attempt. He was glad for everyone's sake that this dish was anything but a failure.

"Mmm, babe this is great," Emmett complimented, with a mouth full of food.

"Thank you, but in the future, please swallow before offering up compliments."

"Yes, dear."

Edward laughed quietly. He always enjoyed his time here. The pair could be rather comical at times and it was easy to see that despite their occasional bickering, they truly loved each other. It made Edward hopeful for the future. He wanted a life like theirs. He wanted someone to come home to, someone to joke around with. Mostly, he didn't want to be lonely anymore.

"So, anything new and exciting in your life, big brother? How's the novel going?" Emmett asked. He was one of the few people who knew about Edward's novel and also one of his biggest supporters. Despite how often they tease each other or try to get under each other's skin, they were brothers and they cared about each other.

"Cooper made a new friend today, which I suppose doesn't count as 'new and exciting in my life', but the girl's mom is the woman from the coffee shop. As for the novel, there hasn't been much progress. Between extra hours at the office and writer's block, it's been hard to get anything done. I mostly just go back through and edit."

"The woman you still haven't asked out despite being crazy about?" Emmett asked.

"Emmett," Rosalie warned.

"What? It's true…" Emmett defended, feigning innocence.

"Yes, that would be the one," Edward replied grimly.

"That's exciting," Rosalie said. "Have you been getting to know her like I suggested?"

Edward blushed, something he rarely did. "Yes, I've been sitting at the counter and talking to her when I stop by after work and today I saw her sitting on a bench at the park, so I joined her. She has a daughter. I invited them to lunch with Coop and I. Cooper and her daughter, Nessie, spent the majority of the time in the playroom. It was a good afternoon."

Rosalie and Emmett both smiled. "I'm glad to hear it," Rosalie said. "How do you feel about her having a daughter?"

"I don't have any problems with it, plus Nessie seems like quite the little charmer. She's a lot like Cooper. The only problem is that it made me realize that I never thought to consider the possibility of her already being in a relationship with someone. Now it's all I can think about and I don't know how to ask."

"Hmm, that's a tough one," Rosalie said, looking thoughtful. "Does she bring up Nessie's father at all?"

"She did once, but I chickened out and didn't take the opportunity to ask about him. It didn't seem like she was overly fond of him though, but I don't know if that's just me hearing what I want to hear."

"Well, if she brings him up again, try to casually work a question or two about him into the conversation. You two are talking more now, so it will just seem like you're interested in her life and her daughter's life. She'll think it's sweet."

"Don't be too obvious about it though," Emmett added. "You don't want to give away why you're really asking."

"No pressure there," Edward replied sarcastically.

"You'll do fine," Rosalie said with a gentle smile. She reached over to give him a kind pat on the shoulder.

After talking a bit more about the novel and Bella, the conversation drifted over to discussing their days at work and plans for the summer. They sat and talked at the table over coffee after they had all finished eating. Edward had offered to help with the dishes, but Rosalie declined, saying she and Emmett could do them later. Before he knew it, the sun had set and they were all yawning and practically ready for bed. He figured that was his cue to head home, so he did. He stayed up a little while longer to work on his novel, but when he wasn't able to get anything done, he gave up and went to bed, feeling frustrated with himself.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN:** Bella's ex is not meant to be anyone from the books. I tried to use a name that I don't remember seeing in the novels, but I apologize if it was a character's name. It's been quite a while since I read them, so I'm a little fuzzy on the names of background characters. He's just meant to be an OC. Also, this chapter is a little on the darker side, as it delves into Bella's past. I did keep it at a level that was appropriate for a teen+ audience, as that is the rating on the story. If you feel uncomfortable and want to skip the chapter you can, although it does give you a much better idea of what Bella has been through and what led her to becoming the person she is now. Personally, I do think it is an important chapter and I spent a lot of time on this one, but I understand if you wish to bypass it. Also, if you're worried about potential triggers, you can send me a personal message and I can let you know what the chapter talks about. Anyways, I'm sorry for the lengthy author's note, but it seemed important to forewarn everyone. Hope you enjoy the chapter. Let me know what you think.

Chapter 8

Bella tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. Lately she had been having nightmares about Nessie's father and it was keeping her up at night. She couldn't quiet her mind. She kept thinking about the past, about how bad things had been, how scared she had been. She hated thinking about Carter. Thinking about what she had been through made her skin crawl. He was the reason she was so afraid to let anyone in. He was the reason she was still single after all of these years. She was petrified of making the same mistake again. She didn't only have herself to worry about anymore, which made it even scarier to let her guard down and let people in. She didn't want to put Nessie in harm's way. It's one of the reasons why she only let certain people around her and her daughter. She didn't let people meet Nessie unless she felt she could trust them. Introducing Edward to Nessie was a big step for her. She had never felt her walls come down so easily with someone since Carter. All she could do now was hope that Edward was the man she thought he was. She prayed he was nothing like Carter.

As the hours ticked past and exhaustion fully set in, Bella felt herself drifting into a restless sleep. Her body had become too tired to fight it. The dreams were bound to start up any minute and there was nothing she could do to stop them.

 _Bella was making dinner when he got home. She heard him smashing into everything he passed on his way into the kitchen, likely kicking his shoes off and hitting things as he went. He was drunk, she could tell from the noise and the closer he got, the stronger the stench of stale alcohol became. He had been getting drunk a lot lately. When he was sober, he was one of the nicest men you would ever meet, but when he was drunk… He became someone she feared. He was abusive. He was the kind of alcoholic you hear about on television and never think it could be something that affects you. She never thought she would be stuck in an abusive relationship. She had always told herself that she would have the strength and courage to leave if she ever found herself in one. As it turns out, that was easier said than done. Leaving an abusive partner wasn't as easy as some may think, as easy as she once thought. Whenever she thought of leaving, the fear of what he might do to her if he found out or caught her paralyzed her. She was too afraid to leave, too afraid to get help. She was trapped._

 _Carter came staggering into the room and flopped down heavily at the table. Bella had already set the table, which she knew instinctively that she was about to regret. As was typical of intoxicated Carter, he began launching the cutlery and plates at the wall and screaming at her. Nothing she ever did was good enough for him. He was angry that dinner wasn't ready when he got home and angry that the table wasn't set the way he wanted it, not that he would ever actually tell her how it was that he wanted the table set. She did everything she could to please him, to avoid having his anger directed at her, but she always failed. Every night was the same._

 _He had run out of things to throw, so he stood up, knocking the chair over in the process, and stormed over to her. She turned to him, trying to hide the fear from her features, trying to be brave. He lifted his arm in the air swiftly and slapped his hand across her cheek with vicious force. Bella struggled to hold back the sobs threatening to spill out. She cupped her cheek with her palm, feeling the heat radiate off of it. The sting was almost unbearable. Every time he hit her felt worse than the last, probably because of all of the bruises. She wanted to fight back, to stand up for herself, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Her fear consumed her. He had complete control over her and he knew it. He fed off of it. She didn't even think there was any part of him left that loved her or even cared about her. All he wanted was control._

 _She knew staying with him was wrong, knew she had to leave, but she didn't know how. She'd packed and unpacked her bags a million times. She'd planned countless different ways to escape, to regain her freedom and control. She'd looked up various helplines and safe houses. None of it mattered though because the moment she got up the nerve to leave, all of her willpower and strength came crumbling down and the paralyzing fear set in again. What if he found her? What if he came home while she was trying to leave? What someone he knew saw her? She couldn't escape the what ifs._

 _Bella looked away from Carter, unable to meet his gaze, but looking away had been a mistake. He grabbed her face roughly and forced her to look at him before slapping her across the other cheek. "How dare you look away from me, stupid bitch," he said, rage evident in his voice._

" _I'm sorry," she replied weakly. She hated herself for apologizing to him, but knew not doing so would only make things worse for herself._

 _He slammed her against the stove and she could feel the heat burning through her shirt. "I should punish you for being such a useless bitch. Show you what someone like you deserves," he sneered._

 _Bella felt the tears begin to well up in her eyes. The pain from the stove burning her lower back was complete agony and she couldn't control her emotions anymore. Her resolve was gone, she weak and at his mercy._

 _He slammed her into the stove again, surely trying to leave a bruise to accompany the burn. He then began to strip off her clothes…_

Bella jerked awake. _It was just a dream_ , she told herself. _Carter isn't here. He can't hurt you. You're safe_. She curled up into the fetal position and let herself cry. She cried until there were no more tears coming out, until the pain began to subside. Thinking about that night made the burn mark on her back throb. He had left permanent scars, both physical and emotional. Scars that she didn't think there would ever be a way of overcoming.

She felt the exhaustion setting in again and tried to prepare herself for the flashbacks she was sure to be pulled into again. It never stopped at just the one. Every night she would wake up from one horrible memory, only to be sucked back into another one.

 _Bella was in the laundry room fussing over one of Carter's shirts. She had done everything she could think of to get the angry red stain out, but she couldn't. She knew it would set him off if he saw his shirt like this and she felt herself begin to panic as more and more time ticked by and she still didn't have a solution. There was a small part of her brain, a part that should have been focusing all of its energy on finding a solution, which kept wondering whether or not the suspicious stain was actually her blood. It was entirely possible._

 _He had been wearing this very shirt a few nights prior when he had slammed her into the wall in the hallway and she had cut herself off one of the figurines arranged on an end table she had placed against the wall to liven up the space. She'd been bleeding badly enough that she was sure she should go to the hospital, but he wouldn't let her. He yanked her by the wrists and shoved her up the stairs. He was afraid she'd escape or that she would tell someone where the marks really came from. The marks she had to keep covered with long sleeve shirts and pants and copious amounts of makeup._

 _She wondered if people ever got suspicious when they saw her in a turtleneck in the middle of summer. It was hard to imagine anyone not being curious about that, but no one had ever stopped to ask her about it, whether because they didn't find it strange or whether because they didn't want to get involved, she had no idea. All she knew was that she had to find some way to get this damn stain out before he got home._

" _Shit!" she swore under her breath when she heard the lock turning in the front door. He was home and any minute now he would walk into the laundry room, see his shirt, and punish her for it._

 _As expected, Carter came in moments later, stumbling into the room. His eyes shot to the shirt straight away and anger clouded his features. His face had gone red, so red it looked like he had a sunburn or that he might spontaneously combust right there in their tiny laundry room._

" _I thought I told you to fix this!" he fumed, holding the shirt up in front of her face to illustrate his point._

" _I… I tried," she stammered helplessly._

" _Well you didn't do a very good job of it, now did you?"_

 _Bella felt herself cringe. She had nothing else to say. Nothing she said would change the outcome. In his eyes, she had failed and she was useless. He threw the shirt on the ground, then grabbed her by the arm and dragged her violently to the staircase leading to the basement. She struggled against him, trying to free herself, but it was no use, he was much stronger than she was. He let go of her wrist and with quick force, slammed his hand into her back, sending her tumbling down the flight of stairs. She screamed and sobbed the entire way down. She landed on her left arm and heard a snap. The pain shot through her. She knew it was broken. She couldn't move. When she looked up, he was gone from the stairwell. She let herself cry alone in the basement._

Bella awoke again, this time covered in cold sweat. She remembered that night vividly. When she had finally felt strong enough to move, she had feebly packed the few necessities she needed then snuck out to go to the hospital. That night had been the last straw. When she left that night, she never went back. She went to the hospital and told them everything. They put her arm in a cast and called the police. She told the officers about the abuse and they escorted her to a safe house and were able to gather enough proof to have Carter arrested, apparently this wasn't his first offense. She would always be thankful to everyone who helped her that night. She owed her life to those people.

She hadn't been at the safe house long before she got up the courage to tell Jacob what had been going on. He had dropped everything to pick her up and bring her to his house, where she lived for the next year while she got back on her feet and figured out where she was going with her life. It was within those first few months at Jacob's place that she found out she was pregnant. She hated the thought of her child being Carter's child as well. Hated that her child had been conceived out of hatred and abuse, not love. As much as she hated all of that however, she would never, could never, hate her unborn child. Despite everything, she had decided to keep the baby. She thanked God every day for that decision because she couldn't imagine her life without Nessie. Nessie was her saving grace.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN:** Thanks for all of the reviews on the last chapter :) I apologize if the next few updates are a little behind schedule. I've been busy studying for an exam, so my writing has fallen a little behind. I should be able to get back on schedule within the next week or two, but until then updates may not be as frequent.

Chapter 9

Bella yawned at the counter as she awaited the first customers of the day. She was exhausted thanks to the lack of sleep she had been getting lately. _Maybe it's time I reconsider going to therapy and maybe this time I should accept the offer for medication to help me sleep,_ she thought. She had only ever gone to a few sessions because at the time she hadn't been ready to talk to a stranger about everything. Talking to Jacob helped more than talking to that cold therapist ever did. Years had passed now though and she thought she might finally be ready for therapy. She wanted to be able to put the past behind her. She wanted to be able to sleep again.

The bell above the door chimed, pulling her out of her thoughts. She looked up to see Edward headed this way, smiling brightly at her. She'd never seen Edward so chipper before and it was kind of strange. She also had never understood how people could be this happy in the morning. She was not a morning person. Having to wake up at 6am to get ready for work was cruel and unusual punishment, but it was worth it if it meant being able to run her own business, so that's why she sucked it up every morning and got up long before she would like to. Besides, the day she had her daughter had been the day she had had to say goodbye to sleeping in. You would think she'd be used to it by now.

"Good morning, Bella," he said cheerfully.

"Morning," she replied without even a hint of his enthusiasm. It was as if they had traded bodies today. He was the upbeat one, while she was the quiet one. "The usual?" she asked.

"Yeah, thanks. You look tired today," he observed.

"Gee thanks," she said sarcastically.

He chuckled. "Sorry, I didn't mean that as an insult. I guess I just want to make sure you were okay."

Bella noticed a slight blush rising to his cheeks, which made her smile. He didn't strike her as the type of person who embarrassed easily and it was rather cute seeing him this vulnerable.

"I'm okay, just not getting much sleep lately."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. My brother in-law has insomnia. It can be quite taxing from what I've been told."

"Yeah, it's hard to sleep when you can't seem to make your brain shut up and unwanted thoughts keep rising to the surface and demanding to be heard." She wasn't sure why she was telling him all of this. Maybe it was the lack of sleep making her so open or maybe there was just something about him that made her want to tell him everything.

"Well I should be getting to work any minute now, but if you feel like talking about it, I'm all ears when I get back tonight," he said with a small smile.

"I just may take you up on that," she said. Talking to him had actually made her feel a little better, which was making her want to tell him about her past. It would be good to see how he reacted, especially if there was any hope they may get together someday.

She got to work making his coffee and bagel, handed it to him, said their goodbyes, and then started with the line of customers behind him.

 **BREAK BREAK BREAK**

The day passed by slowly, Edward had been reading various book proposals and trying to decide which ones were ready for a publisher and which ones weren't quite there yet. He believed every book had the potential to be published it just needed to be ready. He didn't like to think that some books would never be 'good enough'. People dedicated themselves to their written works and thinking that it could all go up in flames because a publisher didn't think you had what it took was heartbreaking.

His heart wasn't in it today though. Usually when he read the proposals, they were the only thing on his mind. He devoted himself entirely to being immersed in that world and trying to experience what the novel would be like. Today however, his thoughts were stuck on Bella. He couldn't help but wonder what it was that was keeping her up at night. Would she tell him about it? Was he being nosy for offering to listen? He hated how self-conscious he was feeling about the whole thing. He'd never felt this way around women. He was usually confident, often to the point of arrogance. This change was mildly frightening, but he could admit that it was also probably for the best. If he ever wanted what Rosalie and Emmett had or Alice and Jasper, he had to stop being such a cold jerk. He had to let people in and show them that he cared. He was trying to do this with Bella. He had been trying to let his guard down and move beyond his comfort zone. _Change is good,_ he kept telling himself.

When his workday ended, he wasted no time leaving the office and driving to the coffee shop. He was excited to see Bella and the anticipation of what she might have to say had been eating away at him all day. He had no idea what might be keeping her up at night. It could be good or bad, really it could be anything. He wasn't sure if she would be willing to talk about it, but if she were, he would be there to listen and to learn more about her.

Edward took a seat at the counter, not wanting to disturb her. He glanced around the coffee shop and saw that there were only two other people here. Sitting at a booth by the window was a young couple holding hands at talking happily. He smiled and turned his attention back to the counter. Bella was wrapped up in another book, he wasn't even sure she'd heard him come in. He wondered if this happened often or if it had something to do with the lack of sleep and how slow the shop was today. He sat there quietly, waiting for her to look up or put the book down. He wasn't in any rush. He was content to sit here and enjoy the atmosphere. He was tempted to take out his laptop and write, but that seemed like it would be a strange thing to do given the fact that he was sitting at the counter and had not yet ordered anything. This was a business after all.

Suddenly, Bella looked up and their eyes met. She looked surprised to see him, which was odd considering he stopped by every night after work. _The lack of sleep must be taking its toll on her,_ he reasoned. He gave her a soft smile.

"Good book?" he asked.

She laughed. "It would appear so. How long have you been there?"

"Only a few minutes. I didn't want to interrupt. You looked riveted."

"Sorry, I can get a little too wrapped up in the story sometimes and forget about the real world. I guess I shouldn't read at work."

"No worries. I'm the same way about a good book. It's as if the rest of the world fades away and I become a part of the made up world. I wouldn't want it any other way though. That's all part of the magic of the written word. It has the ability to draw you in so completely, to move and shape you."

"Wow, I never thought about it like that. That's surprisingly deep."

"Are you trying to say I'm normally shallow?" he asked jokingly.

"Not at all," she replied with a blush. "Anyways, what can I get you?"

"I'll just have a coffee for now. I'm not feeling very hungry tonight."

"That seems to be going around. Here I thought people just didn't like my cooking anymore," she joked.

"I don't think there's any risk of that happening."

He knew he was flirting and that he really shouldn't flirt with her until he knew whether or not she was single, but he couldn't help himself. She was beautiful and funny and she made him feel like a teenager again. She was a refreshing change from what he was used to.

"That's sweet of you to say, but you wouldn't be so sure if you were around when I was experimenting in the kitchen. Some of the recipes I try are real duds. Poor Nessie and Jacob have to suffer through them."

 _This is it,_ he thought. _This is my window. I need to ask. I need to know._

"Jacob, is he Nessie's dad?" Edward asked, trying his best to sound casual.

Bella laughed. "Oh God no! Jacob is practically a brother to me. He's an old friend. More of a surrogate uncle to Nessie, really," she explained. "Nessie's dad was out of the picture before she was born and I plan to keep it that way. Let's just say he wasn't the type of guy you'd want to introduce to anyone you care about. It's just me and Nessie."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up a tough subject," he said softly.

"Oh, it's okay," she responded. "It was years ago. Besides, it was bound to come up eventually."

"Yeah, I guess you do have a point there."

"How was your day?" she asked, switching the subject.

Edward didn't fight the subject change. He was glad to know that Nessie's dad wasn't an issue and that she was single, but he felt bad for bringing up an obviously difficult subject. He didn't want her to feel pressured to talk about something she wasn't ready to talk about. Someday, maybe she would want to tell him about it.

They talked about their days and other light subjects. He didn't ask again about what had been keeping her up at night. He had a feeling it had something to do with her ex and that it was something she didn't like to talk about. He didn't want to pry. It was none of his business anyways. He was content to talk about happier things and help take her mind off of whatever was troubling her. Maybe tonight she would be thinking about him instead of the things that upset her. He liked to think that might be the case. He knew he'd be thinking about her when he got home.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN:** This chapter is a little on the shorter side, but it's more of a side chapter. I wanted to develop Jacob's character a little more and try to incorporate him into the story more, since he is such a big part of her life. I also haven't had a lot of time to work on the story lately, so I figured this was a good way to get a quick update out

Chapter 10

Bella came home to a mouth-watering aroma emanating from the kitchen. _That's unusual,_ she thought. _Jacob never cooks dinner this late._ She wondered whether he had planned this so they could all eat together. She smiled at the thought. She couldn't remember the last time the three of them had sat down for a proper meal together, which was actually rather sad considering they saw each other nearly every day. She was curious to find out why he had decided to make dinner so late and how he had managed to convince Nessie to wait. _Does he have big news?_

There was a small voice in her head that had her worrying that this might be a romantic situation, rather than a shared meal between friends. Jacob had had non-platonic feelings for her in the past and things had been awkward because of it. She thought he had moved on, accepted that all they would ever be is friends and that he was like a brother to her, but this late dinner had her worried that maybe she had been wrong this entire time. Maybe he'd been staying close in the hopes that she would change her mind. She desperately hoped she was wrong about this. She didn't think she could handle breaking his heart a second time. She didn't think their friendship could handle it. She took a deep breath and walked into the kitchen, saying a silent prayer to herself.

"Something smells amazing," she said as she entered the room.

Jacob turned and beamed at her. "That's because I'm making your favourite, twice baked bean burritos," he said enthusiastically.

"What's the occasion?"

"Can't a guy make his best friend her favourite meal without it being for a special occasion?"

"He could, but it seems unlikely to happen," she said, sarcasm leaking through.

"You're a real comedian," he deadpanned.

"I like to think so," she replied, smiling sweetly.

"Well, it's not a special occasion, but I do have some good news and I wanted to share it with my best friend over a home cooked meal. Is that so bad?"

Bella smiled. "What's the news?" she asked excitedly.

"You'll just have to wait until dinner is ready to find out."

"Fine," she replied with a sigh. "So, how'd you convince Nessie to wait this long for dinner? Speaking of Ness, where is she?"

"She didn't want to wait, so I made her a grilled cheese, per her request," he said, chuckling. "And she's at the neighbour's house. She should be back in a half hour or so. She's been spending a lot more time with the little girl next door lately. I didn't think you'd mind if she went over there for a bit."

"Oh that's no problem. I'm glad she's making friends. Sometimes I worry about how little time she spends with other kids her age."

They fell into a comfortable silence while Jacob finished making dinner. Bella set the table in the meantime and tried to sneak bites of what he was cooking. Jacob caught her every time and put a stop to it, smacking her hand away and telling her to wait. She felt like a child, but she didn't mind because it was actually rather entertaining to see him being so strict. It was very unlike him.

After what felt like an eternity, dinner was finally ready and they were seated at the table with their plates loaded up with delicious food. As amazing as the food smelled, she didn't really care about that right now. She wanted to know what the big news was.

"So…" Bella prodded.

Jacob laughed. "You're very impatient."

"You already knew that. Don't change the subject. What's the big news?"

Jacob blushed. "I didn't say big news, I said good news. It's not really big news…" he was rambling. He did this whenever he was nervous.

"You're making me nervous, Jake."

"Sorry. Okay, okay… I've been seeing someone. I didn't want to jinx it and tell you about it, but we've been together for a few months now and I figured it was time."

"Jake, that's great!" Bella exclaimed, standing to go over and hug him. "Who is she? Do I know her?" She felt Jacob tense. "Sorry, am I being too nosy?"

"No, no, it's not that. It's just… She's a he. His name is Mark. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I was never really sure before I met him, you know? "

"You don't have anything to apologize for, Jake. I'm so happy for you. When do I get to meet him?"

"He's actually been asking the same about you," Jacob said with a laugh. "We can come by the coffee shop later this week, if you want."

"Sounds great." She smiled and gave him one last hug before returning to her seat.

They talked about Mark while enjoying their dinner, Bella eager to learn more about her best friend's boyfriend. She couldn't believe he had kept it hidden all this time. Jacob had never been good at keeping secrets. She hoped this guy was one of the good ones because Jacob deserved the world as far as she was concerned. He was a great guy and Mark is lucky to have him.


End file.
